Thank You for Making the Fall Carnival a Huge Success!
This year's fall carnival was a huge success! HISD made over $6000 for the scholarship fund. This fund helps send our juniors and seniors to Temple College. HISD would like to thank everyone that attended.
Our top cowgirls (the girls that sold the most food basket tickets) were:
- Miley Schilling
- Bailey Wolf
- Madison Vrabel
Our top cowboys (the boys that sold the most food basket tickets) were:
- Gavan Brummett
- Andrew Vrabel
The classes that sold the most food basket tickets for each grade were:
- Mrs. Evan's Kindergarten class with $140
- Mrs. Frei's 1st grade class with $215
- Mrs. Nissa Walker's 2nd grade class with $170
- Mrs. Isbel's 3rd grade class with $125
- Mrs. Parmer's 4th grade class with $70.75
- Ms. Lynn's 5th grade class with $100
The 2016 Fall Carnival King and Queen were Cooper Camp and Khloe Christian!
Try new ways to celebrate your child’s academic success
He did it! He raised his math grade this quarter. Or he finally finished reading that book series.
There is no better motivation for a child than setting a goal and reaching it. But sometimes, a major accomplishment also calls for a celebration. So when your child sets and reaches a challenging goal, try one of these fun ideas:
- Take a picture. Get a picture of your child showing off his report card. Get a snapshot of him in his basketball uniform. Or ask your child to draw a picture of his accomplishment.
Frame it and put it by your child’s bed. That way, every time he wakes up, he’ll see an image of himself as an achiever. - Plan a special surprise. On one side of a piece of paper, write down a goal your child wants to achieve. On the other side of the paper, write down a small reward—such as having a friend over for a sleepover.
Now roll up the paper and put it into a balloon. Tell your child that when he reaches his goal, you’ll pop the balloon together and he’ll find out what he’s earned! - Host a victory dinner. Set a “fancy” table and serve your child’s favorite foods. Have a special family dinner to celebrate your child’s success.
Reprinted with permission from the December 2016 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2016 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: M. Borba, Ed.D., Parents Do Make a Difference: How to Raise Kids with Solid Character, Strong Minds, and Caring Hearts, Jossey-Bass.
When elementary students miss school, they miss out on a lot.
With winter break coming up, you may be planning to take your child out of school for an extra day or two. You’ll just ask the teacher for advance homework. Missing a few days won’t really matter, will it?
Actually, those few days of absence can matter a lot. Think about the things your child may be missing that can’t be made up.
The class discussion about the book everyone is reading can’t be captured in homework. Neither can the science demonstration or the group project for history. In some subjects, like math, learning builds on what students learned in the previous lesson.
Even doing extra homework will not make up for the things your child misses when she’s out of school. So, instead of taking your child out of school, make an extra effort to improve her attendance this month.
Reprinted with permission from the December 2016 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2016 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.
Kindergarten
- Kindergarten's cowboys and cowgirls were: Luke Logan, Tristan Timmons, Waylon White, Addisyn Smale, Esme McKinley, and Dekotah Pelizzari.
- The kindergarten students learned about voting and were able to cast their ballots for the next president.
- The students had fun learning about shapes by using their bodies!
Show your elementary schooler how to be a scientific thinker!
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to teach your child about science. Just do some simple things like these:
- Encourage your child to be a collector and to organize objects, such as seeds, rocks, shells and bottle caps.
- Encourage investigation. Give your child a magnifying glass. Ask him, “What things do you see?” “What’s similar and what’s different?”
- Talk about the science that happens in your home. For instance, which cereals get soggy? Why do foods in the refrigerator get moldy? Why do some plants need more water than others?
- Include your child—as an observer or, better yet, a helper—when you make household repairs or work on the family car.
- Show an interest in science together. Observe the stars. Weigh snow. Mix paints.
- Nurture curiosity. Ask your child questions like, “Why do you think ... ?” “What might happen if ... ?” and “How can we find out ... ?”
- Go to the library. Check out a few books on different science topics.
- Give your child something to take apart—a ball point pen, a flower, a candle, an old toy. Encourage him to figure out how it works.
- Talk about the weather. Have your child record the temperature each day for a month. Or use the temperature listed in your local newspaper. Note whether the day was sunny, cloudy or rainy. Which was the hottest day? How many rainy days were there?
Reprinted with permission from the December 2016 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2016 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: T. Bickart and others, What Every Parent Needs To Know About 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grades, Teaching Strategies, Inc.
First Grade
- 1st Grade's cowgirls and cowboys were: Khloe Christian, Anna Leah Logan, Dixie Buckley, Cooper Camp, Grayson Barrett, and Kage Spann.
- Ms. Prcin was a guest science teacher for Mrs. Frei's class. She talked to the class about water. The students love having guest teachers! Thank you Ms. Prcin!
- 1st graders were able to taste test different pies so they could decide which was their favorite Thanksgiving pie!
- Noah and his mother brought Mrs. Frei's class a special "Turkey" drink to enjoy.
Second Grade
- 2nd Grade's cowboys and cowgirls were: Josue Martinez, Thane Quinn, Jackson Connell, Rayna McLaughlin, Cayton Smith, and Alyssia Martinez.
- The students had fun making candy turkeys.
Nissa Walker’s Second Graders had a blast decorating a pumpkin with multicolored glow-in-the-dark paint for the black-out pep rally and Fall Carnival.
The pumpkin seed estimation and counting lesson gave Nissa Walker’s second graders extra practice in counting larger numbers, place value, and reasonableness of estimates. The children loved it!
Are you helping your child read with fluency?
Studies show that kids who read aloud with fluency are most likely to have a greater under-standing of what they’ve read. Your child reads with fluency if he reads aloud quickly, smoothly and with expression. Answer yes or no to the questions below to find out if you are helping your child improve his reading fluency:
___1. Do you set aside time for your child to read to you in addition to the time you spend reading to him?
___2. Do you let your child pick what to read? Even if you think it’s too easy, nothing succeeds like success.
___3. Do you try not to interrupt when your child reads a word incorrectly?
___4. Do you offer help if your child asks how to pronounce a word, and then encourage him to keep reading?
___5. Do you discuss a book after your child is finished reading?
How well are you doing?
If most of your answers are yes, you’re helping your child learn to read aloud. For each no answer, try that idea.
Reprinted with permission from the December 2016 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2016 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc
Third Grade
- 3rd Grade's cowboys and cowgirls were: Aidan Botts, Andrew Cosper, Clayton Taisler, Hannah Ward, Dahlia Traynere, and Madison Vrabel.
- The students had fun learning about cause and effect during reading!
- Students helped decorate the 3rd grade pumpkin for the fall festival and they were able to do Halloween fun lessons!
- 3rd grade had a Moola party. They were able to spend the money they had earned for good behavior!
- The students were able to learn about voting!
What should you do if your child is caught cheating?
Your child has just come home with a note from the teacher that says he was caught cheating. Your first instinct may be to ground him for the rest of his life. Instead, experts suggest setting aside time to talk and really listen to your child. Ask him what happened and find out why he feels the need to cheat.
Does your child cheat because he:
- Is afraid of what you will do if he brings home a bad grade? Make sure your child knows that a low grade would not be the end of your love for him. You would be more concerned about the situation than angry at him.
- Has high expectations for his own academic achievement? Tell him not to put too much emphasis on grades. Grades don’t reflect a person’s worth or intelligence.
- Thinks cheating is no big deal? Tell him it is wrong. Cheaters rob themselves of learning the material and they are unfair to honest students.
- Was asked to? Tell your child that letting someone look at his test or copy his homework is wrong. A real friend would never ask him to do that.
Help him role-play turning down an invitation to cheat: “I’d like to help you, Josh, but I don’t like cheating. Besides, we could get into a lot of trouble.”
Reprinted with permission from the December 2016 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2016 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: J. Craig, Ph.D., Parents on the Spot! What to Do When Kids Put You There, Hearst Books.
Encourage your child to do more than the bare minimum.
It was a windy evening when Juan took the recycling to the curb. Instead of leaving the papers to blow around the neighborhood, he did something extra. He placed a rock on them so they would not become litter.
Juan had learned to do more than the bare minimum. It’s a great lesson in responsibility—and it’s something you can teach in your home.
For instance, you could ask your child to think about doing the following “extras” in the kitchen:
- If he makes a snack after school, does he leave the kitchen clean?
- If he uses the last of the peanut butter, does he tell someone to add it to the grocery list?
- If he pours the rest of the water out of a pitcher, does he refill it?
Helping your child do more than the bare minimum will also help him be successful in school:
- Instead of leaving his backpack where someone could trip over it, he places it in his cubby.
- Instead of turning in a sloppy report, he takes the time to write it out neatly.
- Instead of waiting until the last minute to work on his project, he starts early and goes beyond what is expected. He includes an illustration in his essay. He adds a great cover to his report.
Reprinted with permission from the December 2016 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2016 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: S. Turansky and J. Miller, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes In You and Your Kids! WaterBrook Press.
Question & Answer
Q: My first grader is very shy and has a difficult time making friends. I’m worried that this will affect her in school. What can I do to help her come out of her shell?
A: Some children have lots of self-confidence and others do not. While you can’t change your child’s personality, you can help her feel more confident when speaking and working with others.
To help your child make friends:
- Role-play with her. Shy children don’t always know what to say to another child. Say, “Let’s pretend you’re at recess. Isobel and Jack are playing a game that you’d like to join. What could you say?” At first, you might have your child pretend to be the other children. You can pretend to be her. But then change roles and give her a chance to play herself.
- Read books about friends together. Talk about what good friends do—and don’t do. As your daughter thinks about what makes a good friend, she may start to look for children in her class who might be her friend.
- Build on your child’s strengths. Use these as a way for her to meet other children who share her interests. Does she like music? Perhaps she could sing in a children’s choir. Is she athletic? She might want to play on a soccer team.
As your child practices the skills that she enjoys, she will develop self-confidence—which also may help her make friends!
Reprinted with permission from the December 2016 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2016 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc
Healthy Kids, Pale Kids...Sick Kids, Well Kids!!
Clinic Schedule
- Monday, December 5th - 9 am to 12 pm
- Monday, December 12th - 9 am to 12 pm
Please call 657-2839 for an appointment. You need to book your appointment BEFORE the day you are wanting to be seen.
FLU FACTS for FLU SEASON
Flu symptoms
- A 100 degree higher fever or feeling feverish. Not everyone with the flu has a fever.
- A cough and/or sore throat
- A runny/stuffy nose
- Headaches and/or body aches
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (most common in children)
Flu vs. Common Cold: In general, the flu is worse than the common cold. Symptoms such as fever, body aches, tiredness, and cough are more common and intense with the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny nose.
How flu travels: Flu viruses travel through the air in droplets when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes, or talks. You can inhale the droplets directly or you can pick up the germs from and an object-such as a telephone or computer keyboard- and then transfer them to your eyes, nose, or mouth. People with the virus are likely contagious from the day before symptoms first appear until 5-10 days after symptoms begin. Children and people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for a slightly longer time.
Preventing the flu:
- Get the flu vaccine.
- Wash your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Sneeze into the bend of your arm, NOT your hands.
